English

Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences

The diversity of academic programs offered promotes a multi-perspective approach to today’s social and human issues.

The educational aim of Iwate University Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Master’s Programs) is to foster diverse perspectives and discernment founded upon specialized knowledge, with which students will approach the various issues faced by today’s dynamic society, in particular local communities. The School provides an interdisciplinary environment which encompasses the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences, encouraging students to learn, conduct research, and seek solutions to community issues from various angles.

Human Sciences

Through comprehensive education and research on the characteristics of human beings and their behavior, students will gain a deep understanding of humanity as well as a wide perspective. By understanding human nature, which is the fundamental interest of the human sciences, students will develop the ability to aptly and flexibly approach various issues faced by today’s society.

A scientific approach to issues and human beings in modern society.

■Clinical Psychology
Students are trained to become specialists in psychology who can respond to various issues faced by society in today’s kokoro-no-jidai, or the “age of the heart.” Future clinical psychologists are nurtured in this program, which has received accreditation as a certified class-II graduate school of clinical psychology and has also established a mental care center.

■Behavioral Sciences
Students will conduct empirical research on the characteristics of human behavior, social phenomena, and social issues in modern society, from a wide perspective that encompasses psychology, social science, and geography.

■Human and Information Sciences
Students will systematically study culture as the essence of humanity, from a wide perspective of understanding the world through philosophy, language, information, and the natural sciences.

Inter-cultural Studies

Students will expand their insight by studying culture from various angles and conducting in-depth research on individual topics.

Responding to the needs of globalization with practical specialized knowledge gained through a broad education

■Cultural Systems
Rather than limiting their research to one area, students will study a wide range of topics. Those include the formation, representation, development, propagation and transformation of culture as a system from various perspectives, such as those of the media, text, gender, and ethnicity.

■East Asian Cultures
From the perspectives of philosophy, literature, language, and history, students will study the traditional and modern cultures of East Asian countries such as Japan and China. At the same time, they will also reexamine the local culture of Iwate.

■Western Languages and Cultures
Students will conduct diachronic research on historical developments in Western society, in relation to the trends in world history. From a wide and comprehensive perspective, they will also conduct analytical synchronic research on how European countries influence each other culturally.

Studies of Social and Environmental System

Modern society is changing dynamically, as reflected in the increasingly global and IT-driven economy, the globalization of environmental issues, etc. Students specializing in this field will study issues related to modern society from a comprehensive and multidimensional perspective.

Multifaceted analysis for a comprehensive identification of issues in modern society.

■Law
By deepening their specialized knowledge of the law as a socially practical discipline, students will gain insights into how the law regulates society.

■Economics
To respond to various issues in today’s society, students will deepen their knowledge of and insights into economics and conduct research that elucidates the structure and dynamism of socio-economic systems.

■Environmental Sciences
From the perspectives of the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences, students will conduct comprehensive research to approach the various environmental issues faced by today’s society as well as their underlying nature, actualities, and solutions.

■Regional policy
From a comprehensive perspective, students will develop policymaking skills to analyze the cause of and solve various issues faced by local communities, such as the aging population, declining birthrate, regional socio-economic disparities, and pollution.

Admission Policy

The Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences seeks individuals with the following qualifications and skills.

1.Those with basic comprehension skills who want to improve their specialized skills in the respective fields of education and research included in each major.

2.Those who can read materials in a foreign language, as they will be expected to learn from cases in other countries which are relevant to their interest.

3.Those with a strong interest in issues concerning humanity, culture, and society.